Sweeping school closures across Malaysia as haze worsens
Schools across several Malaysian states have been closed due to hazardous air quality caused by worsening haze. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek confirmed the closures to ensure the safety of students and staff as air pollutant levels reached unhealthy thresholds.
Why it matters
The recurring issue of regional haze highlights ongoing environmental and public health challenges in Southeast Asia.
On Friday morning, 37 areas in Malaysia recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index levels, according to government data.
A mother and her daughter at SJK(C) Foon Yew 2 in Johor Bahru after the school was closed due to the haze on Oct 9, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)
PUTRAJAYA: Schools in parts of Malaysia were closed on Friday (Oct 9) as worsening haze pushed air quality to unhealthy levels across the country.
The areas affected include the states of Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, as well as the country's capital Kuala Lumpur and its administrative centre Putrajaya, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Schools in the Rompin district in the state of Pahang were also closed.
"I have asked all state education departments and district education offices to continue to monitor the haze situation and take immediate action if the situation requires it," said Fadhlina.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in